David Crowley
By Karen Stokes
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley leads a crowded Democratic gubernatorial field for fundraising, followed by Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, according to campaign finance filings submitted January 15.
Candidates vying to be the next governor of Wisconsin were required to report their fundraising totals by Thursday, covering contributions and spending between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2025.
Crowley reported $800,949 in donations and $11,666 in in-kind contributions, spent $187,530 during the period, and ended 2025 with $602,182 cash on hand.
His report listed $123,688 in contributions to the county executive account that were transferred to his governor’s campaign. Also listed was a $15,000 contribution from his local fund to the state account, and other help from his county exec campaign pushed the total to $140,874.
He reported eight $20,000 donations—the maximum allowed—including contributions from Barry Mandel of the Mandel Group, Catchafire CEO Matt Miszewski, and Irgens Partners CEO Mark Irgens. He also received $19,000 from Cory Nettles, a former commerce secretary under Gov. Jim Doyle and now head of a private equity fund.
Crowley’s fundraising strength is durable and donor-driven, not reliant on loans, recycled PAC dollars, or narrow funding sources. The support fueling this campaign is new, broad, and growing, according to Crowley’s campaign.
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez reported raising $618,285, spending $174,894, and receiving $2,034 in in-kind donations. She ended the reporting period with $603,075 cash on hand and $39,401 in incurred obligations.
After Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced he would not seek a third term, Rodriguez became the first Democrat to enter the race to succeed him. She reported receiving an $86,000 contribution from the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association PAC, which last fall also pledged to spend $2 million on independent expenditures to support her campaign.
Following his unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate bid, former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes was expected to rely on small-dollar donors. Instead, large contributions accounted for much of the $555,647 he raised in the final three weeks of the year.
Barnes reported spending $88,266 during the period and finished 2025 with $471,472 cash on hand.
According to WisPolitics, more than half of the money former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes raised after entering the race came from donors giving $10,000 or more, totaling $297,000. That included $50,000 from a new committee largely funded by a federal PAC Barnes created three years ago, as well as maximum $20,000 donations from George Soros and his son, Alexander Soros, and $32,000 from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Active Ballot Club.
Barnes launched the federal Long Run PAC in 2023, using $565,700 in leftover campaign funds to support “diverse and ground-breaking candidates.” On December 22, filings with the Ethics Commission show a state Long Run PAC was registered, receiving $58,720 from the federal PAC, and a week later, it contributed $50,000 to Barnes’ gubernatorial campaign.
Other Democratic candidates for governor who filed reports are Joel Brennan ($560,000), Missy Hughes ($475,000), Francesca Hong ($370,000), and Kelda Roys ($355,456).
U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany leads the three Republican candidates with $2 million, Josh Schoemann: $539K, and Andrew Manske: $365.
A local strategist noted that fundraising totals do not necessarily predict success at the polls.
The Wisconsin gubernatorial primary is scheduled for August 11, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026.